General form of registration statement for all companies including face-amount certificate companies

BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

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BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS
12 Months Ended
May 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations [Text Block]

NOTE 1 BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND NATURE OF OPERATIONS

 

CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (the “Company”) was originally incorporated as Adelt Design, Inc. (“Adelt”) on March 31, 2011 to manufacture and market carpet binding art. Production and marketing of carpet binding art never commenced.

 

On November 12, 2014, CLS Labs, Inc. (“CLS Labs”) acquired 10,000,000 shares, or 55.6%, of the outstanding shares of common stock of Adelt from its founder, Larry Adelt. On that date, Jeffrey Binder, the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CLS Labs, was appointed Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. On November 20, 2014, Adelt adopted amended and restated articles of incorporation, thereby changing its name to CLS Holdings USA, Inc. Effective December 10, 2014, the Company effected a reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding common stock at a ratio of 1-for-0.625 (the “Reverse Split”), wherein 0.625 shares of the Company’s common stock were issued in exchange for each share of common stock issued and outstanding. As a result, 6,250,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were issued to CLS Labs in exchange for the 10,000,000 shares that it owned by virtue of the above-referenced purchase from Larry Adelt.

 

On April 29, 2015, the Company, CLS Labs and CLS Merger Inc., a Nevada corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of CLS Holdings (“Merger Sub”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) and completed a merger, whereby CLS Merger Inc. merged with and into CLS Labs, with CLS Labs remaining as the surviving entity (the “Merger”). Upon the consummation of the Merger, the shares of the common stock of CLS Holdings owned by CLS Labs were extinguished and the former stockholders of CLS Labs were issued an aggregate of 15,000,000 (post Reverse Split) shares of common stock in CLS Holdings in exchange for their shares of common stock in CLS Labs. As a result of the Merger, the Company acquired the business of CLS Labs and abandoned its previous business.

 

The Company has been issued a U.S. patent with respect to its proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into concentrates such as oils, waxes, edibles and shatter. These concentrates may be ingested in a number of ways, including through vaporization via electronic cigarettes (“e-cigarettes”), and used for a variety of pharmaceutical and other purposes. Internal testing of this extraction method and conversion process has revealed that it produces a cleaner, higher quality product and a significantly higher yield than the cannabinoid extraction processes currently existing in the marketplace. The Company has not commercialized its patented proprietary process or otherwise earned any revenues from it. The Company plans to generate revenues through licensing, fee-for-service and joint venture arrangements related to its patented proprietary method of extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants and converting the resulting cannabinoid extracts into saleable concentrates.

 

On December 4, 2017, the Company and Alternative Solutions, entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement (the “Acquisition Agreement”), as amended, for the Company to acquire the Oasis LLCs from Alternative Solutions. Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the Company initially contemplated acquiring all of the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs from Alternative Solutions. Just prior to closing, the parties agreed that the Company would instead acquire all of the membership interests in Alternative Solutions, the parent of the Oasis LLCs, from its members, and the membership interests in the Oasis LLCs owned by members other than Alternative Solutions.

 

Pursuant to the Acquisition Agreement, the Company paid a non-refundable deposit of $250,000 upon signing, which was followed by an additional payment of $1,800,000 paid in February 2018, for an initial 10% of each of the Oasis LLCs. At that time, the Company applied for regulatory approval to own an interest in the Oasis LLCs, which approval was received. On June 27, 2018, the Company made the payments to indirectly acquire the remaining 90% of the Oasis LLCs, which were equal to cash in the amount of $5,995,543, a $4.0 million promissory note due in December 2019 (the “Oasis Note”), and 22,058,823 shares of its common stock (the “Purchase Price Shares”) (collectively, the “Closing Consideration”). The cash payment of $5,995,543 was less than the $6,200,000 payment originally contemplated because the Company assumed an additional $204,457 of liabilities. The Company used the proceeds of a Canadian private securities offering to fund the cash portion of the Closing Consideration. The Company then applied for regulatory approval to own the additional 90% in membership interests in the Oasis LLCs, which it received on December 12, 2018.

 

On October 31, 2018, the Company, CLS Massachusetts, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“CLS Massachusetts”), and In Good Health, Inc., a Massachusetts corporation (“IGH”), entered into an Option Agreement (the “IGH Option Agreement”). Under the terms of the IGH Option Agreement, CLS Massachusetts had an exclusive option to acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of IGH (the “IGH Option”) during the period beginning on the earlier of the date that is one year after the effective date of the conversion and December 1, 2019 and ending on the date that was 60 days after such date. If CLS Massachusetts exercised the IGH Option, the Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and IGH would enter into a merger agreement (the form of which had been agreed to by the parties) (the “IGH Merger Agreement”). At the effective time of the merger contemplated by the IGH Merger Agreement, CLS Massachusetts would pay a purchase price of $47,500,000, subject to reduction as provided in the IGH Merger Agreement, payable as follows: $35 million in cash, $7.5 million in the form of a five-year promissory note, and $5 million in the form of restricted common stock of the Company, plus $2.5 million as consideration for a non-competition agreement with IGH’s President, payable in the form of a five-year promissory note. IGH and certain IGH stockholders holding sufficient aggregate voting power to approve the transactions contemplated by the IGH Merger Agreement entered into agreements pursuant to which such stockholders, among other things, agreed to vote in favor of such transactions. On October 31, 2018, as consideration for the IGH Option, the Company made a loan to IGH, in the principal amount of $5,000,000, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in that certain loan agreement, dated as of October 31, 2018 between IGH as the borrower and the Company as the lender. The loan was evidenced by a secured promissory note of IGH, which bore interest at the rate of 6% per annum and was to mature on October 31, 2021. To secure the obligations of IGH to the Company under the loan agreement and the promissory note, the Company and IGH entered into a security agreement dated as of October 31, 2018, pursuant to which IGH granted to the Company a first priority lien on and security interest in all personal property of IGH. If the Company did not exercise the Option on or prior to the date that is 30 days following the end of the option period, the loan amount would be reduced to $2,500,000 as a break-up fee, subject to certain exceptions set forth in the IGH Option Agreement. On August 26, 2019, the parties amended the IGH Option Agreement to, among other things, delay closing until January 2020. By letter agreement dated January 31, 2020, the Company, CLS Massachusetts and IGH extended the IGH Option Agreement to February 4, 2020. On February 4, 2020, CLS Massachusetts exercised the IGH Option. By letter dated February 26, 2020, the Company informed IGH that as a result of its breaches of the IGH Option, which remained uncured, an event of default had occurred under the IGH Note. The Company advised IGH that it was electing to cause the IGH Note to bear interest at the default rate of 15% per annum effective February 26, 2020 and to accelerate all amounts due under the Note. This dispute, including whether IGH breached the IGH Option and whether CLS is entitled to collect default interest, is now in litigation. At May 31, 2021, the Company had collected a total of $2,901,569 of principal and $220,196 of interest on the IGH Note. On February 27, 2021, IGH notified the Company that it did not plan to make further payments under the IGH Note on the theory that the Break-Up Fee (as defined below) excused additional payments. The Company vehemently disagrees with this assertion, which remains in litigation. The Company has requested permission from the court to file an amended complaint to accelerate the due date of all remaining amounts under the IGH Note and receive default interest as a result of IGH’s breach of the IGH Note, as well as to add a fraud count to the complaint. During the twelve months ended May 31, 2021, the Company impaired the remaining amounts due under the IGH Note in the amount of $2,498,706, which includes $2,497,884 in principal and $822 in accrued interest. As of May 31, 2021, the principal balance of the IGH Note was $0 and the interest receivable was $0.

 

On June 14, 2021, the parties to the IGH lawsuit entered into a confidential settlement agreement to resolve the action and a secured promissory note dated and executed by IGH in favor of the Company effective on June 11, 2021. Pursuant to the promissory note, IGH shall pay the Company $3,000,000, $500,000 of which was due and payable on or before June 21, 2021. A second payment of $500,000 was due and payable on or before July 12, 2021. The remaining $2,000,000 and accrued interest shall be paid in 12 equal, monthly installments beginning on August 12, 2021, pursuant to the terms of the promissory note.

 

On January 29, 2019, the Company made a line of credit loan to CannAssist, LLC (“CannAssist”), in the principal amount of up to $500,000, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in that certain Loan Agreement, dated as of January 29, 2019 between CannAssist as the Borrower and the Company as the Lender (the “CannAssist Loan Agreement”). Any draws on the line of credit in excess of $150,000 will only be made in the sole discretion of the Company. The loan was evidenced by a secured promissory note of CannAssist (the “CannAssist Note”), which bore interest at the rate of 8% per annum and was personally guaranteed by the two equity owners of CannAssist. To secure the obligations of CannAssist to the Company under the CannAssist Loan Agreement and the CannAssist Note, the Company and CannAssist entered into a security agreement dated as of January 29, 2019, pursuant to which CannAssist granted to the Company a first priority lien on and security interest in all personal property of CannAssist.

 

On March 11, 2019, the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, CLS Massachusetts, entered into a membership interest purchase agreement (the “CannAssist Purchase Agreement”) with CannAssist, each of the members of CannAssist, and David Noble, as the members’ representative, to acquire an 80% ownership interest in CannAssist. After conducting diligence, the parties decided to terminate the CannAssist Purchase Agreement effective August 26, 2019.

 

On August 26, 2019, the Company and CannAssist entered into an agreement to amend the CannAssist Note. Pursuant to the amendment, there were no additional advances under the CannAssist Note beyond the $150,000 advanced on February 4, 2019, and the $175,000 advanced on June 24, 2019. In addition, the CannAssist Note became due and payable in full on or before February 28, 2020. See note 8. On December 23, 2019, the Company received payment in full on the CannAssist loan in the amount of $342,567, which was made up of $325,000 of principal and $17,567 of interest. At May 31, 2021, the Company was owed $0 pursuant to the CannAssist Note.

 

On January 4, 2018, the former Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, rescinded the memorandum issued by former Deputy Attorney General James Cole on August 29, 2013 (as amended on February 14, 2014, the “Cole Memo”), the Cole Banking Memorandum, and all other related Obama-era DOJ cannabis enforcement guidance. While the rescission did not change federal law, as the Cole Memo and other DOJ guidance documents were not themselves laws, the rescission removed the DOJ’s formal policy that state-regulated cannabis businesses in compliance with the Cole Memo guidelines should not be a prosecutorial priority. Notably, former Attorney General Sessions’ rescission of the Cole Memo has not affected the status of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) memorandum issued by the Department of Treasury, which remains in effect. This memorandum outlines Bank Secrecy Act-compliant pathways for financial institutions to service state-sanctioned cannabis businesses, which echoed the enforcement priorities outlined in the Cole Memo. In addition to his rescission of the Cole Memo, Attorney General Sessions issued a one-page memorandum known as the “Sessions Memorandum”. The Sessions Memorandum explains the DOJ’s rationale for rescinding all past DOJ cannabis enforcement guidance, claiming that Obama-era enforcement policies are “unnecessary” due to existing general enforcement guidance adopted in the 1980s, in chapter 9.27.230 of the U.A. Attorneys’ Manual (“USAM”). The USAM enforcement priorities, like those of the Cole Memo, are based on the use of the federal government’s limited resources and include “law enforcement priorities set by the Attorney General,” the “seriousness” of the alleged crimes, the “deterrent effect of criminal prosecution,” and “the cumulative impact of particular crimes on the community.” Although the Sessions Memorandum emphasizes that cannabis is a federally illegal Schedule I controlled substance, it does not otherwise instruct U.S. Attorneys to consider the prosecution of cannabis-related offenses a DOJ priority, and in practice, most U.S. Attorneys have not changed their prosecutorial approach to date. However, due to the lack of specific direction in the Sessions Memorandum as to the priority federal prosecutors should ascribe to such cannabis activities, there can be no assurance that the federal government will not seek to prosecute cases involving cannabis businesses that are otherwise compliant with state law.

 

William Barr served as United States Attorney General from February 14, 2019 to December 23, 2020. The DOJ under Mr. Barr did not take a formal position on federal enforcement of laws relating to cannabis. On March 11, 2021, United States President Biden’s nominee, Merrick Garland was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney General. During his campaign, President Biden stated a policy goal to decriminalize possession of cannabis at the federal level, but he has not publicly supported the full legalization of cannabis. It is unclear what impact, if any, the new administration will have on U.S. federal government enforcement policy on cannabis. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that the position of the Department of Justice will not change.